This invention relates to equipment used for the sport of golf and, more particularly, to covers used to protect the heads of golf clubs of both the putter and driver types.
The use of padded covers for the protection of the striking heads of golf clubs is well known. The use of such covers is particularly desirable for xe2x80x9cironsxe2x80x9d, as they are particularly susceptible to mutually-inflicted scratches and nicks which occur as multiple clubs are transported together. Though the ideal cover should be easily installed on the club head, remain securely in place once installed, be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and fit a wide range of different sized club heads, the many club head covers available in the marketplace reflect tradeoffs among those ideal characteristics.
Certain club head cover designs have focused on the various methos of retaining the cover in place on the head of the club. Some designs, such as those of U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,815 to Ashlin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222 to Gaffney, rely on hook and loop fasteners. Each of these covers is somewhat complex, requiring the assembly of multiple components.
Certain club head covers and related innovations have been designed to address a particular problem, such as that of identifying a particular club while the cover is installed on the head thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,338 to Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,293 to Serpa, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,050 describe club head covers that are typical of this genre. The Jones head cover is equipped with a label plate holder into which label plates may be releasably locked therein. The Serpa head cover includes an uncovered aperture for viewing club head identification markings. The Suk cover includes a transparent window for viewing the club head identification markings.
Several club head covers have been fabricated from a resilient material such as neoprene. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,195,568 and 5,105,863, both to Cirone, disclose such a covers. The snug fit provided by the elastic material secures the covers to the club head.
Another cover design, described by Spears in U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,769, uses a fastener attached to a flexible flap-like cover. Another cover, disclosed by Borenstein in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,655, utilizes snaps to retain the cover on the head.
One-piece molded covers are disclosed in both U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,799 to Hoyt and U.S. Pat. 5,415,213 to Diener, et al.
Other club head covers have incorporated functions and/or accessories related to the game of golf. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,559 discloses a head cover which incorporates a rake which can be used to groom the surface of a sand trap.
The present invention provides a protective cover for the head of a golf club. The design, though applicable to all types of golf clubs, is primarily designed for use on putter clubs. The cover has a main body formed from a single piece cut from a sheet of foam rubber material. Because of its great elasticity, strength, stability and resistance to damage from ultraviolet radiation and weathering, neoprene rubber is the preferred compound from which the foam is manufactured. Nevertheless, polybutadiene rubber, a highly elastic rubber having characteristics similar to natural rubber, may be substituted for neoprene. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, a stretchable nylon or polyester fabric is bonded to the opposing surfaces of the foam rubber sheet. The single piece of sheet foam rubber material is folded along a substantially straight first edge and stitched along opposite second and third edges to form a cover having a profile similar to that of the club head which it is to cover. Generally speaking, the cover has somewhat the same profile as a baby bootie. Like the bootie, the cover has an opening at the top thereof. The opening can be expanded in size to fit over the head of a club. Because of the elasticity of the material from which the cover is made, and because the cover is slightly smaller than the head which it covers, the cover will conform to the shape of the club head.
The cover may also be equipped with a pocket. The pocket may be formed from the same type of material as the cover, and may be either adhesively bonded or sewn to the cover. The pocket is sized to receive a turf comb, which can be used to dress the grass on which the participants ball rests. The turf comb may be connected with a line or string to an anchor point within the pocket to reduce the possibility that the comb may fall from the pocket and become lost. In addition, the cover may also be equipped with a ball marker. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, the marker is a male snap fastener which mates with a female snap fastener that is attached to the pocket.